Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee met with the media on Monday morning before the Vols put on full pads for the first time in fall camp.
Elarbee discussed the improved depth of the offensive line, John Campbell making the move from left tackle to right tackle and much more. Here’s everything Elarbee said on Monday.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Practice Observations From Monday Morning
On having better depth on Tennessee’s offensive line, not having to play young players so early
“Man, so much better, right? Like especially this spring, where so many young guys got reps. And then you get all the older guys back. One, it helps you with your older guys. You can plug in young guys and get them reps and the team doesn’t suffer. They can function and they can go and do the job and it helps them grow. And them moving up helps the guys that have just gotten here, like Bennett Warren and Lance Heard, and those kind of guys still get reps and it just makes life a lot easier for sure.”
On if this is the most veteran group of Tennessee offensive linemen he’s had, how much that helps develop the younger players in the group
“Yeah, it is a super veteran group. I mean, there are guys that played a lot of football. And you just go across the board, man, like Dayne (Davis) is a coach on the field. John (Campbell) is a coach on the field. Coop (Cooper Mays) is always the coach on the field. Spraggs (Javontez Spraggins) is a coach on the field. Dre (Andrej Karic) has even, in his second year, become a great coach on the field. They know it so well and they’re helping bring those young guys along.”
On the number of tackle bodies this Tennessee roster has, how much that helps the Vols practice having quality depth there
“Because again those guys have gotten reps, and having the depth man, it just helps not only us but it helps the team. You can just practice and you put guys out there when you don’t need to necessarily rep vet guys and we can still continue to go and function. That’ll help us when we get to the fall. But man, hopefully you’re rotating guys and preparing them for the next year. And also helping guys last for what’s hopefully a very long season.”
On the benefit of having former Tennessee offensive lineman Parker Ball as a graduate assistant
“Man, because he is the smartest guy in this building. Last year, loved him as a player, he was already a coach in the making. He got with John every Friday and studied tips. And he’s just picked up where he’s left off. One, he’s been in it for three years so he knows it inside and out. And I mean the freakiest smartest human being walking the planet and keeps me correct. Like we’ll be sitting in the meeting room, I can just hear him (clear his throat) … I just hear a Parker noise. And I know I misspoke and I’ll correct it and then if I don’t, he’ll jump my butt and get me corrected. But he’s awesome, man. He’s going to be a way better coach than I ever could have been.”
On Tennessee having more depth at center behind Cooper Mays this season
“Man, it’s awesome. We got great competition. Vysen (Lang), Sat (William Satterwhite), probably are taking the most of those reps and competing. Sat has come along at a high rate. Vysen has improved in ton of areas. Max Anderson, (Jesse) Perry have also taken some center reps. You always have Dayne (Davis) as if bomb went off. He did last year if he had to. But we’re doing a bunch of different guys and were in day five of camp, got two more weeks. Let the competition kind sort itself out.”
On what he has seen from Tennessee tackle John Campbell in his move to the right side
“Man, really good. You can tell he got in a ton of work this offseason when we were on breaks. He’s always sending me videos of him doing work, getting sets, asking for critiques. He is a meticulous note taker. So he’s, in my opinion, looked flawless. Just done a phenomenal job and all that credit is due to him.”
On who all is working at left guard, if he wants one starter
“Man, I think you always let the competition sort itself out. Andrej’s worked (at) left guard, Dayne’s worked (at) left guard, Lamps (Jackson Lampley) worked at left guard, Shams working (at) left guard. Even BG (Brian Grant) has bounced in there who are kind of moving guys around day-to-day. And at the end of the day, whoever is the best, that guy’s gonna play and then we’re gonna have to play somebody behind him. Like it’s gonna be a long year. Coach Heup’s made an emphasis on us rotating. So I’m trying to make that point in the way we practice it. Guys are rotating in and taking lot of reps with ones and twos.”
On how they manage practice load with a veteran group, how comfortable he is rotating
“One, every practice we have a rep plan for exactly the number of reps guys are getting, there’s some drills that, and I know I probably don’t need to get Coop(er Mays) in to, right? And there’s other things where it’s tempo or third down, so I know he does need to be in there. Same thing with a John Campbell, (Javontez) Sprags, older guys and their bodies have been playing a long time. Give them the reps they need and then again, having the depth helps so we can go and play guys.
“As far as rotating goes, one, if you’re relatively equal, man, I love the rotation. It keeps guys fresh. I think the only time you get nervous is when you have a drop off. If you put a guy in, I mean with this bunch you feel like we’re far along.”
On a number of starters returning for another season
“Man, question their common sense. I’m just kidding. I think it speaks to who we are in the room, one. Talk about it all the time and like there’s stuff outside of football that we talk about. There’s things in life. We’re in there after chapel the other day and I tell them, ‘I know, I don’t say enough. I love every single one of you in here’ and I think there’s a family in that room and they enjoy being in it. It’s a healthy, fun environment. Like when it’s time to get work, my gosh, it has to happen. But we enjoy playing the game too and they all wanna win a championship. They want to go do that and they want to go compete.”
On if the experience of working against the defensive line has helped the offensive line
“Man, iron sharpens iron. I feel like we’ve gotten better. They’ve also taken steps. Like it’s a great defensive line, man. You get to go get those guys every day in one-on-one pass rush or any drill. Honestly, it helps you grow. I do think our young guys are taking big steps. Now, getting some of the veteran guys back, like that’s gonna help prepare them. Be ready to roll in the season.”
